Tahiry On Why She Hasn’t Let Joe Go And Her Love For Love And Hip Hop Atlanta

Tahiry must’ve given herself a pep talk before theLove and Hip Hop reunion that she was not there for any drama. Crazy, sexy, cool was her M.O. Even during the quick moment backstage she popped Consequence in the face she never once yelled or lost her demeanor. In her dressing room she was all laughs with her homegirl Rashidah. Tahiry is too busy doing her to worry about the foolishness. As far as she and Joe are concerned, well…read on.

VH1: Let’s start with the music. What’s up with “Devil?”

Tahiry: The single is out on iTunes now. The video was just released yesterday. I’m really happy, really proud. It’s going very well. I’m about to gear up for the second record. Due to filming I’ve been traveling.

VH1: What was it like starring in your own video opposed to being in other people’s video?

Tahiry: I’m always a little pumped so I was nervous, which is always a great sign because I dream big. I can be kind of scared at times. I just jump out the window and do whatever my heart desires, but it was an amazing experience. I had to make all the decisions and it was just surreal, like this was my video. I didn’t really think five years ago I’d be the star of my own stuff.

VH1: Is the music something you wanted to do before the show?

Tahiry: Music was something I was doing before the show, before I even signed a contract. I wanted to express myself. Me sitting down with the writers and just discussing life and also watching myself get better as time went by. So the first day I walked into that booth I was like “Sh–!” I came out with a new found respect for artist. All you see is the lifestyle, the money, the girls, the traveling, but you don’t see the work. I just kept going back and getting better. So with that I fell in love with the process.

VH1: So what’s up with you and Joe?

Tahiry: What is up with Joe and I?

VH1: Yes, the real!

Tahiry: Well right now we’re taking it a day at a time. It’s kind of like we’re meeting each other all over again. We’re chilling. We tied up in a little box [with] everything that happened in the past and sent it away; and now we’re like kind of reintroducing ourselves.

VH1: The last time you came into the VH1 office you slipped up and said Joe had been stopping by. What is up with him and Kaylin?

Tahiry: I don’t know what’s up with Joey and Kaylin. I did hear that he… well I didn’t hear… we try not to speak… I have to respect… Even in certain conversations when you ask certain things I have to respect that that’s their relationship and that’s their business. I know what I need to know which is that they’re not together any longer. But Joey’s been stopping by no matter what relationship he’s in, he just pops up. It never changes.

VH1: Do you regret mushing Kaylin?

Tahiry: See what had happened was… I’m not proud of the way I act sometimes, but it’s a reaction. If you’re in my space I’m going to protect myself. All I saw was hair and somebody running after me out the corner of my eye.

VH1: A lot of people felt bad for Kaylin.

Tahiry: Y’all could eat that sh– if you want. All this damsel in distress bulls—. Because I have a big mouth and I’m loud all of a sudden I’m the aggressor? See I don’t like that sh–. She ain’t that innocent when she doing them threesomes with a d— in her mouth.

VH1: So she was running up to you?

Tahiry: No she was running, you can see the run. You did see me when I turned back and snuffed. But she was coming, so you’re coming I have my back towards you, I turn around and your right here, that’s what’s going to happen. I was wrong for reacting, but was I going to allow somebody to grab me from the back? No.

VH1: Do you have an issue with her still?

Tahiry: No I don’t have an issue with her, and I didn’t have an issue before then. I didn’t have an issue after it happened because she came out of pocket, and like I said, if you’re in my space I’m going to react. I’m human. Am I proud of me exuding violence or whatever it is on TV? Absolutely not. But chances are in real life you roll up on me like that and we just had a heated argument, I’m going to defend myself. I’m small. [laughs]

VH1: What do you think about Joey’s reaction to the whole situation?

Tahiry: Well, again, Joey see’s what happened. As a man he was supposed to just tell Kaylin chill out, Tahiry chill out and control the situation and never let it get that far. He didn’t. and then after I snuffed his girlfriend by mistake he comes running after me again. But that’s expected.

VH1: How do you feel when you look back at the stuff and he makes it seem like you’re the one still trying to get on with him?

Tahiry: I have to remember that it’s an old episode. That’s why I acted all emotional the other day and actually instagramed the conversation where he was texting me because he sits around in interviews and he says stuff like, “My relationship is great and this and that and the third;” and behind the scenes it’s something different. One day I just got fed up and was like alright since you wanna act like you guys are all chilling and skipping to the rainbow, this is what’s really happening. I’m tired of looking like im the crazy one, like I am the bully like I am the one running after him. At some point you’re like enough.

VH1: It’s been eight years of up and down, back and forth, are you ever tired of it?

Tahiry: Of course! I’m human. I’m sure he has been sick of it too. We go back and forth through friendship, we question getting back together a few times. At some point that’s why we stay away if I can’t deal I’ll disappear, I don’t answer his texts, his phone calls, his anything and I’m sure he goes through his couple months then he comes back for another dose. Even in friendship it’s just been really, really hard to figure out.

VH1: It seems like you put him before yourself.

Tahiry: I did, I have.

VH1: Why?

Tahiry: I can’t explain it. Love him to death, so I can’t explain what I have. Today though, I don’t.

VH1: People on Twitter always want to find you a “good” man. Do you understand why people feel that way?

Tahiry: Absolutely! I mean they’re watching the show. He really drives my blood pressure. And they see me going through the motions. I can understand from a female’s perspective and from a man’s perspective.

VH1: Right now you’re good?

Tahiry: I’m so busy at work. I’m always on the road or I’m taping or I’m in some kind of interview. There’s so much going on that even me trying to go on dates, it just never happens. I have to tell people don’t give up on me.

VH1: If you met somebody would you be willing to wash your hands with Joe–not even a friendship?

Tahiry: It’s not about me meeting somebody. It’s not that I haven’t met somebody and that’s why I haven’t washed my hands with Joe, that’s not it. Joey, we’re eventually going to have to figure out how we can coexist as people. You get what I’m saying? Joey is somebody who is going to be a part of my life. It’s probably going to be difficult if I start dating someone else because he would have to understand that and Joey would have to respect that also. The point is that me and Joey we’re always clashing or we’re trying to figure out our friendship. We don’t even know what’s happening. So that’s where we’re at today : we’re trying to figure it out so we can stop clashing.

VH1: That’s understandable.

Tahiry: I think that we’ve ran from this forever and now the show forced us to deal with this issue that we’ve been avoiding the last four years in between the relationships. My relationship with Joey doesn’t depend on me seeing anybody else.

VH1: How has the show changed the dynamic between the two of you?

Tahiry: It’s been very therapeutic for me because even in lashing out and putting out eventually I come to my senses and today we’re able to sit down and figure things out, and not argue about s— that happened seven years ago.

VH1: Does it make you more mad when you’re venting a point to him and he says, “Let’s just have a threesome?”

Tahiry: He’s been doing that forever, so now I’m hip to it and I point it out. You can do anything but throw me off my real conversation, and piss me off. I’m getting hip to not allowing him to get up under my skin.

Tahiry: At this point, no. There were situations with Raqi way back before we even started filming. They weren’t crazy situations, I just chose not to be a part of her world or allow her in mine. I have too much going on in my life to be concerned about people and then be concerned about me. I really don’t care about the girly girl drama; it’s never been the way I role anyway. The back and forth I wasn’t trained that way. You’re either going to handle something or you’ll keep it moving. Its okay to stay in that lane, we’re too old for that.

VH1: Is there more to you guys’ falling out?

Tahiry: We were cool. I think that I picked up on everything that’s happening right now really fast and didn’t express it to her. She tried a few times to contact me, but by me not expressing that to her people don’t like rejection or being ignored. And I think that pissed her off and eventually we get on the show and she had plenty of opportunities to be sincere if she had some kind of, if my friendship to her was important she could of said so, but instead she chose to go the other route. Even in us spazzing after the cup [incident] she could have had a woman to woman conversation with me and said, “Look I really did care and let’s try to retry.” She never did, instead she went left so we continue going left and that’s just a sign that I don’t need you in my life.

VH1: Do you have a problem with her and Joey being friends?

Tahiry: No. Joey is entitled to be friends with anybody. At this point Joey and I are trying to figure out what’s happening between him and I, and if in some case me and Joey decide to have a life together in the future, that’s something I will deal with then, but right now Joey’s his own man. I don’t really think Joey would really continue that friendship.

VH1: Do you have any regrets of how you were portrayed this season or anything you did on the show?

Tahiry: No. I am who I am. I’m human, I reacted, I had a great time, I expressed, I learned.

VH1: Rashidah’s your girl and she tells you the truth. Do you appreciate her for that even though it might not be what you want to hear?

Tahiry: I really don’t like the b*tch. [laughs]. I’m just getting paid. I love Rashidah. I’ve known Rashidah for about eight years now and we don’t have to speak everyday or go to dinner every other week and everytime we see each other its like we pick up where we left off. So that’s what a friend is. She always tells me the truth always. She’ll see me at the mall after not seeing me for a few months and say, “I don’t like that guy for you,” or “You need to change.” I always appreciate having a conversation, plus the fact that she’s really funny and she’s good with the mouth. I’m disrespectful and be swinging.

VH1: Do you think you’ll have any problems today on the show with anyone?

Tahiry: Of course I love Oliva and she can sang! But just like Rashidah said, Erica’s song sounds good. It sounds really good. You’re talking about Olivia who’s a singer singer and you’re talking about Erica who’s in the beginning stages, but I’m not mad at either.

VH1: Do you think mixing business and pleasure is always a disaster?

Tahiry: Always. It’s always a bad idea. Lord Jesus. I don’t advise people to do that. There’s always going to be some kind of drama in between no matter how professional you try to keep it. Those hats easily get confused.

VH1: Would you feel the same way if you had done the record with Joe?

Tahiry: But we not dating. At that point it was just an artist and his ex-girlfriend.

VH1: Are you genuinely friends with anybody else on the cast?

Tahiry: [laughter] I’ve known everybody for a long time, except. I know everybody for a long time, but I’m not a quickie bitch.

VH1: Very small circle.

Tahiry: Yea I have to at this point, but I’ve never been quickie. I’m always around guys for some reason.

VH1: Did you watch love and hip hop Atlanta?

Tahiry: Absolutely! I watched some episodes, and I didn’t finish because I thought I was going to call Mona and tell her I’m not doing it. [laughter]

VH1: You have any favorites on that cast?

Tahiry: Of course! I like Joseline and I like Erica a lot. And I like Stevie. I like all of them, they’re hilarious.

VH1: How do you think your season differs from ATL?

Tahiry: We have real life situations. I’m not saying their situations aren’t real I’m just saying that we all worry about different things. I think we hold standards, like the way we view life is a little different. There’s certain things maybe I wouldn’t do which is why I feel like over here we have the drug addiction, we have the religious, the different relationships, you have Yandy trying to figure it out having a baby, we have situations that people actually can relate to. I can’t relate to walking in to therapy with my man and his chick. It’s just different, but I do enjoy them a lot. I can’t wait.